Auto Market Splintering By Region

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Auto Market Splintering By Region

What you have under the hood will largely depend on where you live in future as auto makers will offer different drivetrains to different regions. Nancy Gioia, Ford director of Sustainable Mobility Technology Lab and Hybrid Vehicle Programs says her company will offer diesel, ethanol, or hydrogen vehicles based on the local politics and resources, according to DueMotori.com.

"The reason we don't think there is a single solution is that while there are common challenges around the world, the economic, political and social realities differ from region to region,"

This is already happening but will intensify in the future. For example, although ethanol may become more economically and agriculturally viable, Europe doesn't have sufficient farmland to shift to biofuels, so diesel vehicles are likely to remain the majority. In the U.S. we're likely to see the most demand for ethanol in the heartland and perhaps deep south. Technologies also will be mixed and matched as flex fuel plug-in hybrids that could get their electricity from wind would eliminate fossil fuel consumption.

Ford's philosophy is a recognition that as the world oil supply diminishes over time, a variety of alternatives will be needed. The company remains strong on hydrogen from renewable resources as the endgame, but that is a long shot at best based on today's technology and infrastructure.